Follow me on twitter Follow @stlgoalie The Blues will host the Montreal Canadiens, hoping that the all-star break didn’t take any of their mojo out of their 2 game home win streak.
After defeating the Senators by a score of 3-0, the Blues defeated the surging Avalanche 3-1. The Blues got goals from Paul Stastny, Brayden Schenn, and Alexander Steen.
With about 4 minutes left in the 1st period, the Blues took the lead on a Stastny power play goal. The goal was create by Alex Pietrangelo’s one-timer from the point, something I wish the Blues would do a lot more of on the power play.
Midway through the 2nd period Schenn extended the lead to 2 with the Blues 2nd power play goal, making them 2 of 3 for the game and converting 4 of their last 9. In looking at this goal, there are a few keys to the play. The first is Vince Dunn’s one-timer (notice a trend?)
The second is the brilliant screen of Steen and the perfect placement of the shot by Schenn.
Less than 6 minutes later, Alexander Kerfoot would keep hot pace against the Blues, notching his 3rd goal and 4th point in only 2 games against the Blues. Carter Hutton made a very strong save before having little chance on the rebound.
The Blues would add another goal from Steen, making the final 3-1. Given that there was less than one and a half minutes on the clock and Steen has become the king of empty net goals for the Blues, you might presume his goal was an empty netter. It wasn’t, well not exactly. Avalanche goalie Jonathan Bernier had left the net for the bench when the Alex Pietrangelo gets control of the puck and makes a strong outlet pass to Vladimir Sobtoka for a 2 on 1 with Steen. Bernier gets back in the net but likely isn’t at the depth and positioning he may have been had it taken his positon from the net out. At best, he likely feels out of sorts. Sobotka and Steen execute a good pass and one timer for the goal. Watch it here.
Game notes: - Hutton was sharp again, stopping 36 of 37, making his case for another start. - Schenn was the only forward with over 18:30 in ice time. - Schwartz played over 18 minutes and had 4 shots. - Av’s Nikita Zadorov was credited with 11 hits. - Now, if the Avs win their games in hand, they will only tie the Blues point total.
The Canadiens come into St. Louis having lost 5 of their last 7 while going 4-4-2 in their last 10 games. They have had trouble scoring, ranking 27th in goals per game even though they generate the 6th most shots per game. They have not been much better in preventing goals, ranking 24th in goals against per game. Their penalty kill also ranks 24th.
All indications are that Carey Price will get the start in net. Price is having a very substandard year by his standards with a 90.5% save percentage and a 3.02 goals against average though as we all know, a goalie’s numbers are often as much of a reflection of his team’s play as his own. Price has a 91.2% save percentage and a 2.55 goals against average in his games against the Blues.
Jonathan Drouin has enjoyed success against the Blues with 6 points in 5 games. Max Pacioretty has been doing his best to either drive up his trade value or to will the Canadiens back on a winning path with 8 goals and 11 points in his last 10 games. Pacioretty has 5 goals and 7 points in 11 games against the Blues. Another hot Canadien is Paul Byron who has a 6 game point streak with 2 goals and 5 assists.
Given that Hutton stopped 61 of 62 shots last week, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that his is starting tonight. Hutton has a 93.3% save percentage and a 1.57 goals against average versus the Canadiens in his career though he only had 2 overtime losses to show for it.
Schenn has 7 goals and 17 points in 18 games against the Canadiens while Schwartz has 9 points in 8 games. Tarasenko has struggled against the Canadiens with only 3 points in 9 games.
Steen has been on fire with points in 5 straight and 8 of his last 9 games while Schenn has points in 4 straight and in 7 of his last 9 games. Pietrangelo has points in 6 of his last 8 games.
My guess at the lines tonight looks like this:
Forwards Ivan Barbashev - Paul Stastny – Vladimir Tarasenko Jaden Schwartz - Brayden Schenn – Alexander Steen Vladimir Sobotka - Patrik Berglund – Tage Thompson Scottie Upshall – Kyle Brodziak – Dmitrij Jaskin
Defense Joel Edmundson - Alex Pietrangelo Carl Gunnarsson - Colton Parayko Vince Dunn - Robert Bortuzzo
Goalie Carter Hutton
It sounds like Jay Bouwmeester will miss the game. He didn’t skate today though he did practice yesterday.
It’s a great day for hockey.
Fellow Hockeybuzz bloggers Nashville Predator's Paul McCann, Winnipeg Jet's Peter Tessier and Minnesota Wild's Dan Wallace have generously agreed to a friendly charity wager. We were hoping to do the whole division but don't have it fully represented yet. The blogger whose team finishes the highest the standings at the end of the year gets to pick a charity to whom the others will donate in their name.